


It Will Be OK Again

by SallyRose



Category: Melrose Place (1992)
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, Season 3, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2018-01-03 10:23:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1069357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SallyRose/pseuds/SallyRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alison would be there for Jo, instead of Jane as they talk things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Will Be OK Again

**Author's Note:**

> Ref: They Shoot Mothers Don’t They.

Jo and Alison are sitting on the sofa while Jake hands Jo a cup of coffee. Jake excuses himself to the kitchen. Jo carefully shifts her sitting position to not jostle her bandaged arm.

Jo looks at Alison.

“I’m scared, Alison. My life is so messed up right now.”

Alison is leaning against the sofa with her head resting against her hand.

“You’ll bounce back. Sometimes life has this way of throwing things at you and you just need to roll with the punches.”

Jo only shakes her head.

“This upcoming custody trial has me nervous. What if Austin is taken away from me, again? I can’t bear to lose him.”

Alison begins to run a hand nervously through her own hair at the thought of that.

“Jo, the judge won’t give your son to the people who kidnapped him and shot you. He has to know that you are the mother who deserves to raise him.”

Jo nervously shifts a little. “I hope so. The Carters are determined to get custody of my son. They even were willing to kill me to keep him.”

Alison also shifts in her sitting position. “Where is Austin now?”

Jo takes a careful sip of her coffee. “He’s in the care of social services for now. They won’t let me or the Carters see him until the decision is made.”

Jo sets her coffee cup down and clears her throat.

“Alison, the frightening thing is, do I deserve to raise my son? Look at what he’s been through since he’s been born. I even had to fight Kimberly and Michael to get him back. He’s not safe. I don’t know if I can ever keep him safe again,” Jo wipes at her tears as her voice cracks.

Alison leans forward and gently touches Jo.

“Jo, you can keep him safe. In life there are no guarantees, but you always try to do the best you can and hope for the best. It will be OK again.”

Jo’s voice begins to shake, “Will it? Look at me, Alison. I nearly got killed trying my best and I doubt the Carters will let me live in peace.”

Alison shakes her head, refusing to let Jo feel defeated with doubts.

“If it comes to that, Jo. You have your friends by your side. We will stand by you and fight together on this.”

“I don’t think I have the strength anymore,” Jo sighs deeply.

“Of course you do! Look at what you went through to get Austin back. Jo, you have a lot of strength that you don’t believe you have, but it’s there when you need it. Even in my own darkest moments, I found the strength to go on. When I confronted my parents at their house, practically shouting from the rooftops what a monster my father was in front of people, it took away his strength, not mine. Don’t give up!” Alison protests.

Jo inhales deeply to consider it. “Somehow, along the way, I lost myself somewhere and don’t know how to fix it. I made so many mistakes.”

Alison casually shrugs. “And you’ll make more mistakes. Learn to brush it off and start over. At least that’s what AA has taught me.” Alison flushes from shame, remembering her mistakes made while drinking.

Jo gazes at Alison’s recalling her personal battle with alcoholism.

“You have come a long way from your drinking, Alison. Be proud of that.”

Alison snorts. “Not so proud of what I did while I was drinking. I let a lot of people down, including you. I’m so sorry, Jo. I really messed it up for you when you needed me.”

Jo responds with a smile, “I forgave you a long time ago. I was relieved when you went to rehab to get better. I also screwed up. I was so desperate during the custody trial, I couldn’t think straight. I trusted Kimberly to help keep my baby from the Carters and that went well,” she adds with sarcasm.

Alison snorts again with embarrassment. “Yeah, at least you didn’t fall for an arrogant, sex addicted jock in rehab. God, I was an idiot! I really fell for his lines and into his bed.”

“What happened to that guy anyway? I didn’t get the full story,” Jo asks.

Alison nervously laughs. “Oh, well, I caught him with his pants down, literally.”

Jo blinks in surprise as Alison continues, “He was cheating on me with this bimbo and he had the nerve to blame his sex addiction. I told him where he could shove it and to give his ring to the bimbo in bed!”

Jo laughs. “Go, Alison! Now if only I could do that to every guy I meet.”

Alison looks towards the kitchen and then back at Jo while smiling. “Well, not every guy….Jake’s been a great guy.”

Jo smiles and nods in agreement, “Yes, he has.”

Alison steals another furtive glance towards the kitchen. “You two have a lot of history. Ever thought about getting back together?”

Jo is taken aback at the idea. “It’s rather complicated with us. We always seem to be in this weird dance. I think its better that we remain friends.”

Alison makes an exasperated sound as she rolls her eyes. “Oh come on, Jo. Don’t tell me there wasn’t something going on between the two of you while searching for Austin.” Alison scrutinizes Jo’s face, who glances towards the kitchen where Jake still is and then averts her eyes from Alison’s gaze.

Alison’s jaw dropped at the realization. “There was, wasn’t there?” She gasps. “You two did reconnect! Details, please!”

Jo blushes, quickly turns her head toward the kitchen as she lowers her voice, “Yes. There was a reconnection, a night together.” Jo holds up the arm of her good hand before Alison could interrupt. “But it’s not what you think. It was done out of some strange need or something. Next morning Jake wanted to talk about it, he had no regrets and I told him I had no regrets either but used my son as an excuse not to discuss further into it.”

Jo shrugs. “I think it was a reflexive action to protect myself.”

Alison smiles as she shakes her head. “Jake is still here. He’s standing in your kitchen, making coffee. All you have to do is go over there and tell him what you need to tell him.”

Then Jake walks over, overhearing part of Alison’s conversation and asks, “Tell me what?”

He looks between a nervous looking Jo and then to Alison.

Alison clears her throat, “I was just telling Jo, that she should tell you something that needs she needs to say to you.” Jo smacks Alison on the leg. “Ow! And I think she’s needs to tell it to you now.”

Alison gets up and hurries to the kitchen as she tries not to eavesdrop too much. Jo stares at where Alison made her exit and looks back at Jake. He then sits down by her on the sofa and waits, with his hand gently resting on her knee.

Jo nervously clears her throat, “Jake, what I like to say to you is……” as she frantically searches for the right words, “is that I appreciate all your support. Helping me get Austin back, being my friend in all this mess. So, thanks. I needed to say it to your face.” Jo quickly exhales her breath and hoped she had managed from saying something really stupid to Jake.

Alison had been listening in and rolls her eyes after hearing Jo chicken out on telling Jake the truth. She’s tempted to run back into the room and yell, ‘no that’s not what Jo needs to say to you, Jake.’

Jake just smiles. “Oh. No problem. I’m always here for you, Jo.”

Jo just smiles and nods while feeling relieved when Jake gets up from the sofa.

Jake turns to Jo, “Well, I gotta go. I have to check on things at Shooters. But I’ll be back and you can let me know when the custody hearing is, ok?” Jo just nods. He turns towards the kitchen, where Alison was standing near the corner. “Keep an eye on her, Alison.” Then he walks out the door.

Alison comes back out as soon as she hears Jake’s footsteps going down the stairs. “You chicken! You had every opportunity to tell Jake what you really needed to say to him and you blew it!” Alison throws her hands in the air in mock disbelief.

Jo just smiles and shrugs at Alison’s teasing. She knew she was right but the timing was way off right now.

As Alison sits back down next to her, Jo stares petulantly at Alison who returns it with a quizzical look.

Jo acts casual as she rubs the back of her neck and asks, “I was just wondering: when are you and Billy going to reconnect? The both of you have a lot of history together.” She returns the challenge back into Alison’s corner.

“I…we…aren’t exactly on the same level. It’s complicated with us,” Alison protests.

Jo just nods her head, amused. “You work with him and you haven’t told him what you need to say to him?”

Alison sputters, “It’s been bad timing.”

Jo continues to nod along. “Oh, so who’s the chicken now, hm?

Alison just laughs and playfully tosses a pillow at Jo.

XXX


End file.
